Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fichryswiros’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Fichryswiros’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant form; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium semi-decorative type inflorescences with dark red purple-colored ray florets; early flowering habit, response time about 37 days under controlled photoperiodic treatments; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FICHRYSWIROS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum plant, referred to as code number 65838 in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/497,574 and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fichryswiros’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Swifty Purple’, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Swifty Purple’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in January, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands in February, 2015. Asexual reproduction by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fichryswiros’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fichryswiros’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright to outwardly spreading and         uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant form.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Medium semi-decorative type inflorescences with dark red         purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Early flowering habit, response time about 37 days under         controlled photoperiodic treatments.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘Swifty Purple’. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Swifty Purple’ in ray floret color as plants of ‘Swifty Purple’ have inflorescences with purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Breeze Cardinal’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Breeze Cardinal’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more compact than plants         of ‘Breeze Cardinal’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about nine days         earlier than plants of ‘Breeze Cardinal’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fichryswiros’ grown in a 14-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 14-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 21° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Plants were grown under long day/short night conditions for about two weeks and then grown under short day/long night conditions to induce inflorescence initiation and development. Plants were eight weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Fichryswiros’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum     X morifolium ‘Swifty Purple’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous semi-decorative type             potted Chrysanthemum; relatively compact; stems upright to             outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to             the plant; numerous lateral branches and relatively short             internodes, dense and full plant form; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 23 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about five primary             lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching).         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             About 60° from vertical and then bending upwardly. Texture:             Fine pubescence. Color: Close to 147B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed; roughly ovate with three to five             lobes.         -   Apex.—Broadly acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly dentate and palmately lobed; sinuses             between lateral lobes mostly divergent.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; slightly             rough; veins prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137D; venation,             close to 145A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 145A.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Fine pubescence; slightly rough.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Form and flowering habit.—Semi-decorative type inflorescence             form with ligulate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne             on terminals above and beyond the foliar plane; disc and ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; freely             flowering habit with about 24 inflorescences developing per             plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Mildly fragrant; pungent, herbaceous.         -   Flowering response.—Early flowering habit, plants flower             uniformly about 37 days after starting short day/long night             photoperiodic treatments.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Good postproduction longevity;             inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about             two to three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.7 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 9 mm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Conical. Color: Close to 144C.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             33 arranged in about three whorls. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 45° from vertical. Length: About 7 mm.             Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Mammillate. Base:             Fused into a short tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; double-keeled. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 59A; with             development, color becoming closer to 60A. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 59B; with development,             color becoming closer to 185C.         -   Disc florets.—Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 194 massed at the center of the receptacle. Length:             About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated;             apices, acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to 9B.             Mid-section: Close to 145C. Base: Close to 157C. Color,             fully opened: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section: Close to 145B.             Base: Close to 157C.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 23             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             waxy. Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; waxy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 1.2 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 2 mm. Angle: Erect to             about 10° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong,             flexible. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present only on ray florets. Pistil length: About 6 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 5C. Style             length: About 0.2 mm. Style color: Close to 1D. Ovary color:             Close to 1D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures     from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fichryswiros’ as illustrated and described. 